Charles U. Zug

Biography

Charles U. Zug is Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs and Assistant Professor of Constitutional Democracy in the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. He received his PhD in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.

Charles works on American political institutions, with a focus on American political development (APD), the presidency, and constitutional theory. Charles uses an open-ended, multi-methods approach to study American politics, including archival research, process tracing, and interpretive methodology.

Charles is the author of two books, Demagogues in American Politics (Oxford University Press, 2022) and Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Federal Highway Act (University Press of Kansas, 2024). His third book, The Mythology of American Federalism, is under contract at Oxford University Press. He is also co-editor of and a contributor to Beyond Checks and Balances (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2026). In addition to essays, book chapters, and political commentary, Charles has authored peer-reviewed articles in journals including Political Research Quarterly, Political Science Quarterly, Journal of Law and Courts, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and American Political Thought.

Students interested in pursuing graduate work in political science at Mizzou are welcome to email Charles directly.